A conversation with food expert Jimmy Ekvall

Food experts around the world are continuously working on identifying alternatives to nutritional sources or developing solutions where one can source the most nutrients from an ingredient. The spotlight is on protein as the king of the macronutrients. Since protein has numerous nutritional benefits and is also part of the production process in the food chain due to its application in enzyme production among other uses, pulses have become a reliable and sustainable source for protein applications. Its high protein and nutrient content also makes it a viable option to enhance food security.

Caldic’s team of food technologists and experts are constantly working to find sustainable alternatives to ingredients. One such expert is Jimmy Ekvall, an Innovation Manager at Caldic Nordics who has a Ph.D. and a post-doctorate in Food Chemistry, and frequently experiments with pulses and proteins. 

With over 15+ years of experience working with a wide range of ingredients, Jimmy has spent a decade at Caldic identifying suitable plant-based alternatives, such as meat analogs, for our customers to work with. Along with his colleague Magnus Nilsson, a Product and Application Developer, he creates and tests formulations and explores ways to isolate proteins from pulses and other plant-based sources in our lab in Sweden. 

However, working with proteins comes with its own set of challenges. Jimmy explains that his work largely revolves around figuring out how ingredients work with different applications, and the properties such as stability, mouthfeel, taste, shelf life, etc. that need to be considered to fit the end application.

Like his peers in the industry, Jimmy’s work on pulses focuses on protein isolates and concentrates. He explains that the high content of starch and fibers in pulses affects applications because they are able to store water even after continuous treatment, adversely affecting the desired result. “For most of us,” he explains, “the aim has always been to isolate proteins to build the best possible texture. We’re losing a lot of nutrients when we isolate proteins, and the trend seems to be to look at pulse flours again.”

This is why Jimmy has been testing out different types of pulse crops for the last few years. “We have been working with legumes for some years. The aim is to screen the products we have in our portfolio for different properties: like emulsification, gel-forming properties, how they dissolve, and how they operate in different situations so that we can get the desired technical functionality,” he explains, before adding, “We test different flours from peas, lentils, fava beans, and chickpeas. 

Sometimes, you can see easily identifiable textures – for instance, we once used a fava bean protein concentrate that behaved pretty much like egg whites when we heated it. We use it as a substitute in a Swedish quiche and it was great!” Again, working with these too comes with its own set of challenges – the texture being the main concern. “If you’re using whole flour, it is difficult to get any free-flowing water in the application,” he clarifies.

 

Moreover, while working with pulse flour is a trend, most consumers in Europe are not used to the textures generated with whole pulse flour, and maintaining flavors is also an issue that many manufacturers struggle with. However, these challenges excite him.